The subject matter disclosed herein relates to engine emissions, and more specifically to a harness that facilitates control of engine emissions.
An internal combustion engine is an engine where the combustion (i.e. burning) of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of high-pressure gas produced by combustion applies a force to a piston, turbine, or other component of the engine. Thus, the internal combustion engine takes chemical energy from combustion and turns it into mechanical energy.
The ratio of fuel and air plays an important role in how the internal combustion engine functions. The air/fuel ratio to combust gasoline may be, for instance, roughly 14.7:1, depending on the type and quality of fuel. A rich-burn engine may operate at an air/fuel ratio near that combustion point, such as near 12:1. In contrast, in a lean-burn engine, the engine burns fuel with an excess of air in the internal combustion engine, such as air/fuel ratio 65:1.
The oxidizer and fuel may not fully react within the combustion chamber, resulting in products of incomplete combustion (i.e., emissions) in the engine exhaust, such as nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide, among others. Catalysts that receive the engine exhaust may reduce the emissions. However, the air/fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine and operating conditions (e.g., temperature) of the catalyst may affect the effectiveness of the catalyst. Moreover, catalyst composition, catalyst configuration, and internal combustion engine control inputs may vary between different internal combustion engine installations.